Known gaming devices, such as slot machines, poker machines, blackjack machines or keno machines, include a central processing unit (“CPU”), microprocessor or other processor which operates on a particular or designated platform or operating system. These gaming devices only run programs which are in a format which is specifically compatible with or programmed for their platforms.
For example, if a gaming device has a type X platform, the gaming device can only operate with X-based programs, or if a gaming device has a type Y platform, the gaming device can only operate with Y-based programs. One disadvantage to these gaming devices is they require game developers to write code in the particular format which is compatible with the gaming device's platform. For example, a developer's computer system must have a platform which is identical in type to the gaming device's platform.
Currently, as illustrated in FIG. 1, if a developer uses a type A platform 2a to write code 4a, only a gaming device 6a with a type A platform can read and use this code 4a. The same applies to a type B platform 6b, type C platform 6c or any other type of platform, as illustrated in FIG. 1. In operation, as illustrated in FIG. 2, a developer writes source code on a computer system having a particular platform. The computer system then compiles the source code into object code which is in a format compatible with the computer system's platform. This object code is loaded into and executed, run or used by a gaming device which operates on a platform which is identical in type to the platform of the developer's computer system. The type of gaming device platform thus limits the type of development platform a developer can use to develop gaming device programs.
This limitation is problematic because many gaming devices have industrial or proprietary platforms. These platforms are not wide spread platforms, such as the platform sold under the trademark, WINDOWS™, MACINTOSH™ or SOLARIS™, each of which is described below. Accordingly, game developers often do not have the ability to use off-the-shelf, more advanced and user friendly development programs which operate on wide spread platforms.